Sexual Assault is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person accuses another of inflicting certain types of sexual contact without consent. If a person is convicted of Sexual Assault, they are subject to indeterminate sentencing, meaning that there is a set minimum amount of time the person is sentenced to prison or probation that can extend to the person’s natural life. A Boulder County, Colorado judge recently made his opinion known about indeterminate sentencing when he sentenced a man who was found guilty of Sexual Assault / Rape. He sentenced the 24-year-old man to 20 years to life of sex offender intensive supervised probation with two years of work release. In his sentencing statements, the judge noted the ‘shortsightedness’ of the law. He basically said that he would like more freedom in sentencing. He doesn’t like the idea that it’s up to life in prison or probation, with no real in between.
Indeterminate Sentencing in Colorado Sex Cases: Which Crimes Are Subject to Indeterminate Sentencing in Larimer County
The Larimer County, Colorado rules regarding Indeterminate Sentencing can be found at C.R.S. 18-1.3-1004. It states:
(b) If the sex offender committed a sex offense that constitutes a crime of violence, as defined in section 18-1.3-406, the district court shall sentence the sex offender to the custody of the department for an indeterminate term of at least the midpoint in the presumptive range for the level of offense committed and a maximum of the sex offender’s natural life.
(c) If the sex offender committed a sex offense that makes him or her eligible for sentencing as an habitual sex offender against children pursuant to section 18-3-412, the district court shall sentence the sex offender to the custody of the department for an indeterminate term of at least three times the upper limit of the presumptive range for the level of offense committed and a maximum of the sex offender’s natural life.
(d) If the sex offender committed a sex offense that constitutes a sexual offense, as defined in section 18-3-415.5, and the sex offender, prior to committing the offense, had notice that he or she had tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV infection, and the infectious agent of the HIV infection was in fact transmitted, the district court shall sentence the sex offender to the custody of the department for an indeterminate term of at least the upper limit of the presumptive range for the level of offense committed and a maximum of the sex offender’s natural life.
(e)(I) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the district court shall sentence a sex offender to the custody of the department for an indeterminate term as specified in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (e) if the sex offender:
(A) Committed a class 2, class 3, or class 4 sex offense in violation of section 18-3-402, 18-3-405, or 18-3-405.3 when the act includes sexual intrusion as defined in section 18-3-401 (5) or sexual penetration as defined in section 18-3-401 (6);
(B) Committed the act against a child who was under twelve years of age at the time of the offense; and
(C) Was at least eighteen years of age and at least ten years older than the child.
(II) The district court shall sentence a sex offender to the department of corrections for an indeterminate term of incarceration of:
(A) At least ten to sixteen years for a class 4 felony to a maximum of the person’s natural life, as provided in this subsection (1), if he or she committed a crime as described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (e);
(B) At least eighteen to thirty-two years for a class 3 felony to a maximum of the person’s natural life, as provided in this subsection (1), if he or she committed a crime as described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (e); and
(C) At least twenty-four to forty-eight years for a class 2 felony, to a maximum of the person’s natural life, as provided in this subsection (1), if he or she committed a crime as described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (e).
(III) If the defendant is placed on parole, the parole board shall order the defendant to wear electronic monitoring for the duration of his or her period of parole.
For a sentence to probation, the following applies:
(b) The court, as a condition of probation, may sentence a sex offender to a residential community corrections program pursuant to section 18-1.3-301 for a minimum period specified by the court. Following completion of the minimum period, the sex offender may be released to intensive supervision probation as provided in section 18-1.3-1008 (1.5).
The indeterminate sentencing statute is complicated. If you have been charged with a sexual offense, like Sexual Assault, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule your free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future
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